Richard M. Bohart
Museum of Entomology
The R. M. Bohart Museum of Entomology is a world class institution,
dedicated to teaching, research and public service. The Museum contains
the ninth largest insect collection in North America, and is the third
largest university collection of insects. The Museum is located in a
state-of-the-art facility in the Academic Surge Building, on the Davis
campus of the University of California.
History
The collections in the Bohart Museum were originally developed as
teaching and research collections for the Department of Entomology, at
the University of California Farm, in Davis in 1946. The collections
began as the contents of two Schmitt boxes. In 1966 the decision was
made to maintain a type collection, which now contains more than 1500
primary types. As of 1969 the collection consisted of 100,000 specimens.
In 1983 the Research Collection was officially given museum status by
the Regents of the University of California, and was named after
professor emeritus Richard M. Bohart. By 1995 the collection holdings
had grown to 6 million curated specimens from all over the world, and
had moved into a new National Science Foundation and University funded
facility.
Services
The Bohart Museum houses one of the largest systematic entomology
resources in the United States, providing specimens and library
materials to scientists and students worldwide through loans and visits.
More than 40,000 specimens are loaned out for research per year.
Highly trained staff and students provide information and
identification services to the public, university associates,
governmental agencies and businesses.
The museum has an informal science education program consisting of
permanent and traveling exhibits, and lectures and tours about insects
for schools and other community groups.
Collections
The Bohart Museum collections have grown through active
California-based field research programs, donations by faculty,
students, and members of the community, as well as by acquisitions of
private collections. Museum associates and members of the Department of
Entomology have collected for the Bohart Museum in many far flung
corners of the globe, including Central and South America, Africa
including Madagascar, Australia, and the Middle East. Some of our most
important collections include:
- One of the world's largest collections of parasitic and
aculeate Hymenoptera.
- The Bucket and Bauer Noctuidae, 150,000 moths and library.
- H. Tyler swallowtail butterflies, 90% of the world species,
4500 specimens, and library.
- Ferris-McKenzie scale insect collection, 200,000 dried and
slide-mounted specimens and library.
- W. Reeves arbovirus research voucher mosquitoes.
- MMJ Lavoipierre collection of ecto- and endo-parasitic
arthropods and worms.
- A. Shapiro butterflies, 100,000 research vouchers of
Californian and Argentinean species.
- The world's largest collection of tardigrade water bears.
- One of the more important collections of mites in the U.S.A.
Bohart Museum Society
Join the Bohart Museum Society! The Society provides support
for a variety of special projects in the Museum, including:
- Visiting Scientists Program - Each year two or
three short term fellowships are awarded to taxonomists in order to
come and study the museum collections.
- High School Student Internships - Every summer
the society funds internships for two high school students to learn
about insects, curation, collecting and other aspects of Entomology.
- Annual Society Meeting - Every spring the Museum
hosts a meeting for Society members, with special tours, lectures
and exhibitions.
- Associates Program - This program is designed to
give special recognition to society members who donate their time
and expertise to the Museum.
- Collections Access - Society members have ready
access to the collections and free information and identification
services.
Staff
Director: Lynn
Kimsey
Collections Manager: Steve Heydon
Curators: Richard
M. Bohart, Arthur
Shapiro, Robbin
W. Thorp, and Philip
S. Ward.
For more information about services and membership, contact the
Museum at:
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